NCDOT Awards $3.4 Million to Replace T. Walter Middleton Bridge Over Tuckaseegee River on N.C. 107 in Jackson County

Thursday, April 12, 2012

RALEIGH —N.C.
Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti has awarded a contract to
replace the T. Walter Middleton Bridge
on N.C. 107 over the Tuckaseegee River in the East Laport community of Jackson
County.

The $3.4
million contract was awarded to a local company, Owle Construction Co. of
Whittier. The new bridge will be widened from 20 feet to 50 feet with three
lanes, shoulders and a sidewalk to reduce maintenance costs, improve safety and
reduce congestion.

Work can
begin as early as April 30, with final completion scheduled for no later than Jan.
11, 2015. An on-site detour will be in place during the project.

Last
March, NCDOT decided to postpone the replacement of the bridge to allow for
more time to consult with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to study and
document Native American archaeological findings uncovered at the project site.

This is one
of 34 contracts totaling $130.8 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge
projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest
bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded
came in about 1.4 percent, or $118.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.

Since
Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 575 highway
contracts totaling $4.1 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have
access to jobs and educational opportunities.

For more
information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as
well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.